Definition

Proper noun * Pierre de Fermat: A French mathematician of the 17th century, renowned for his foundational work in number theory and his contributions (with Blaise Pascal) to the theory of probability. He is most famous for proposing Fermat's Last Theorem.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The mathematical principle was first conjectured by Pierre de Fermat in the margin of a book.
  • Historians of mathematics study the correspondence of Pierre de Fermat with his contemporaries.

Advanced Usage

• Fermat's Last Theorem: The famous conjecture, stated by Pierre de Fermat, that the equation has no positive integer solutions for any integer value of greater than 2. It remained unproven for over 350 years.
  • Andrew Wiles finally proved Fermat's Last Theorem in 1994.
• Fermat's Principle: In optics, the principle that light travels between two points along the path that requires the least time.
  • The path of a light ray can be derived from Fermat's Principle.

Variants and Related Words

• Fermatian (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of Pierre de Fermat or his work.
  • The proof involved a Fermatian approach to number theory.
• Fermat number (n): A positive integer of the form , where is a nonnegative integer.
  • Only a few Fermat numbers are known to be prime.

Synonyms

• The French mathematician: A common descriptive synonym in historical context.
  • The theorem was proposed by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Number theory: The branch of mathematics primarily concerned with the properties of integers, which Fermat helped found.
• Probability theory: The mathematical study of randomness and uncertainty, to which Fermat made early contributions with Pascal.
• Marginal note: A reference to Fermat's habit of writing his conjectures, including his Last Theorem, in the margins of books, often stating he had a proof that was too large for the margin.

Noun

1. French mathematician who founded number theory; contributed (with Pascal) to the theory of probability (1601-1665)